"Oh, well . . . " Kat looked at Maya and Grace. They had stopped to wait for her. "I'm a bit worried. About the puppy we're looking after Nutmeg." Owen was listening closely. "She's not eating much. We're not sure why. We thought she'd feel better once she settled in. But now I'm not sure . . ."

Kat's Aunt Jenn owns Tails Up! Grooming and Boarding. This is great because Kat loves animals and dreams of having a puppy of her own. Her parents won't let her have one so being at Tails Up! is the next best thing. Kat is able to surround herself with puppies to love every time she helps at the shop. She loves this and is ready for any assignment that is given to her. When Nutmeg arrives for a short stay, Kat and her friends, Maya and Grace, are ready and willing to shower him with love, but the girls notice a big problem. Nutmeg is very sad, and even more worrisome, Nutmeg won't eat. The girls are on mission to find out what is upsetting Nutmeg and to make Nutmeg's stay a happy one.

Nutmeg All Alone is the eighth book in “The Puppy Collection” series by Susan Hughes. This series is very popular with many children. The cover features a picture of a real Blenheim King Charles spaniel. The story focuses around Kat and her friends, Maya and Grace, and how they use their problem solving skills to solve the mystery of Nutmeg's sadness. The story also involves a few of their classmates, and it nice to see how the group comes together to support one another. The story illustrates that you are never alone when you have a problem. Your friends want to help. Sometimes problems just need a fresh perspective to help one realize the solution. Fortunately for Kat, Owen was able to come up with new ideas to help get Nutmeg back on the right track.

Susan Hughes, an award winning Canadian author, writes a variety of books that are enjoyed by people of all ages. She resides in Toronto, ON, and has been a freelance editor and writer for about 30 years. “The Puppy Collection” series is enjoyable, full of information about different types of dogs, and teaches valuable life lessons that children can relate to. Leanne Franson, a Canadian illustrator and cartoonist, lives is Martensville, SK, and she has illustrated numerous books for children. Leanne provides the black and white illustrations for this series, and these drawings really capture each moment in story and draw readers in and help to make the characters more relatable.

Nutmeg All Alone is told through easy to read chapters, each approximately 7 10 pages long. Each chapter contains at least two illustrations which are an excellent tool for helping to bring the story to life. The chapters are written with words that are easy for the student to read as well as to comprehend. This is ideal for children that have started to read chapter books as the story contains language that is comfortable yet also introduces new words. The illustrations help with comprehension which keeps the story enjoyable and motivates the reader to continue.